Refrigerator and method of controlling the same

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator having at least one storage compartment, an evaporator cooling the storage compartment, a compressor, and a compressor driving part supplying electric power to the compressor, comprising: a heater heating a part of the refrigerator; a heater driving part supplying electric power to the heater; a temperature sensor sensing an inside temperature of the storage compartment and a controller controlling the heater driving part to turn off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature in a state that the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment through the evaporator. With this configuration, a refrigerator is provided which can minimize a rise in the inside temperature thereof when the compressor stops due to trouble, and restarts the compressor stably.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-17536, filed Mar. 29, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator which can minimize a rise in an inside temperature thereof when a compressor stops due to trouble, and restart the compressor stably.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Generally, a cooling system circulates a refrigerant through a compressor, and the circulation of the refrigerant generates cool air to be supplied to storage compartments, so that food can be preserved freshly.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator comprises a compressor 24, a condenser 130, and evaporators 151 a and 151 b. A gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant by the compressor 24 and then moves to the condenser 130 through a connection pipe. The compressed refrigerant, which is of a high temperature and of a high pressure, is condensed into a normal temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant by the condenser 130 through heat radiation, and then is selectively delivered to the evaporators 151 a or 151 b linked with a storage compartment through a solenoid valve 114 a or 114 b. Thereafter, the refrigerant is evaporated by the evaporators 151 a and 151 b by absorbing latent heat from circumferential air, thereby cooling the respective storage compartments. Thereafter, the refrigerant evaporated by the evaporators 151 a and 151 b is recollected into the condenser 130 and returns to the compressor 24, thereby completing a refrigeration cycle.

[0007] In the storage compartments are installed temperature sensors 112 a and 112 b sensing an inside temperature thereof, respectively, and an amount of cool air to be supplied to each of the storage compartments is adjusted by controlling the solenoid valves 114 a and 114 b, respectively, to thereby keep each of the storage compartments at a respective preset temperature.

[0008] The compressor 24 is provided with an overload protector (hereinafter referred to as “OLP”) shutting off electric power supplied to the compressor 24 when the compressor 24 is overloaded, thereby allowing the compressor 24 to stop operating. If the compressor 24 is overloaded during an execution of the refrigeration cycle, the OLP controls the compressor 24 to stop operating. Accordingly, as the compressor 24 stops operating, the refrigerant does not circulate, so that the cool air cannot be supplied to the storage compartments.

[0009] The refrigerator is provided with a defrost heater to defrost the evaporator 151 a and 151 b during the execution of the refrigeration cycle, and a dew heater to remove dew condensed by a temperature difference between an inside and an outside of the storage compartment around doors of the refrigerator. A kimchi refrigerator may be provided with a heater to heat food to be ripened. Further, a drawer-type kimchi refrigerator may be provided with a heater to defrost a sliding door bearing to slide a drawer.

[0010] However, even when the compressor 24 stops because of trouble, the OLP, etc., the heaters do not stop, so that the inside temperatures of the storage compartments rise. The rise in the inside temperatures of the storage compartments cause not only the stored food to go bad but also the compressor 24 to be unstable due to the heat from the heaters when the compressor 24 is restarted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Accordingly, a refrigerator is provided which can minimize a rise in an inside temperature thereof when a compressor stops due to trouble, and restart the compressor stably.

[0012] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

[0013] The above and/or other aspects are achieved by a refrigerator comprising at least one storage compartment, an evaporator cooling the storage compartment, a compressor, and a compressor driving part supplying electric power to the compressor, further comprising a heater heating a part of the refrigerator; a heater driving part supplying electric power to the heater; a temperature sensor sensing an inside temperature of the storage compartment; and a controller controlling the heater driving part to turn off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature in a state that the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment through the evaporator.

[0014] The heater may include at least one of a heater to defrost the evaporator, a heater to heat a door sliding bearing, a heater to remove dew, and a heater to ripen food.

[0015] The refrigerator may further comprise a valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, wherein the controller controls the heater driving part to turn off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature in a state that the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part and the valve is opened.

[0016] The above and other aspects may be achieved by providing a method of controlling a refrigerator comprising at least one storage compartment, an evaporator cooling the storage compartment, a valve to adjust an amount of a refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, a compressor, a compressor driving part supplying electric power to the compressor, an overload protector shutting off the electric power supplied from the compressor driving part to the compressor when the compressor is overloaded, and a heater heating a part of the refrigerator, comprising determining whether or not the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part; determining whether or not the valve is opened and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment when the compressor is determined to be operating; determining whether an inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by a temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature when the cool air is determined to be supplied to the storage compartment; and turning off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment is determined to rise beyond a preset temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which:

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator;

[0019]FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021]FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] Reference will now made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[0023]FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, a refrigerator comprises a temperature sensor 12 sensing an inside temperature of a storage compartment, a valve sensor 14 sensing an opened state or a closed state of a valve adjusting an amount of cool air supplied to the storage compartment, a heater driving part 16 driving a plurality of heaters 18 defrosting or ripening food, a compressor 24, a compressor driving part 20 supplying electric power to the compressor 24, an OLP 22 shutting off the electric power supplied to the compressor 24 when the compressor 24 is overloaded, and a controller 10 controlling the heater driving part 16 and the compressor driving part 20 according to results sensed by the temperature sensor 12 and the valve sensor 14.

[0024] The temperature sensor 12 senses the inside temperature of the storage compartment, and transmits a sensed result to the controller 10.

[0025] The valve sensor 14 senses whether or not the valve 28 adjusting the amount of the cool air supplied to the storage compartment is opened, and transmits a sensed result to the controller 10. The valve 28 is opened or closed by a valve drive part 26 controlled by the controller 10, so that refrigerant is selectively flowed into evaporators (refer to FIG. 1). Therefore, the controller 10 controls the valve 28 to be opened or closed according to the inside temperature of the storage compartment, thereby adjusting the inside temperature of the storage compartment.

[0026] The heaters 18 include a heater to defrost the evaporator, a heater to remove dew condensed by a temperature difference between an inside and an outside of the storage compartment, a heater to ripen food, and so on. Further, in a case of a drawer-type kimchi refrigerator, a heater may be employed to defrost a door sliding bearing to slide a drawer. Thus, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied to all kinds of heaters for a refrigerator.

[0027] The compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24 according to control by the controller 10, thereby driving the compressor 24. Accordingly as the compressor 24 operates, a refrigeration cycle is executed, and the cool air is supplied to the storage compartment.

[0028] The OLP 22 shuts off the electric power supplied from the compressor driving part 20 to the compressor 24 when the compressor 24 is overloaded. A bimetal may be employed as the OLP 22, and the OLP 22 may operate independently of control of the controller 10 when the compressor 24 is overloaded. Accordingly when the OLP 22 operates, the electric power supplied to the compressor 24 is shut off, so that the compressor 24 stops operating. When the compressor 24 is released from the overload, the OLP 22 automatically stops operating, thereby allowing electric power to be supplied from the compressor driving part 20 to the compressor 24. As described above, because the OLP 22 operates independently of the control by the controller 10 according to a loading state of the compressor 24, the controller 10 cannot directly control an operation of the OLP 22.

[0029] Therefore, the controller 10 senses an operation of the compressor 24, depending on whether or not the compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24. Further, the controller 10 determines whether or not the cool air is supplied to the storage compartment, depending on the opened state or the closed state of the valve 28 sensed by the valve sensor 14. Further, the controller 10 continuously monitors the inside temperature of the storage compartment through the temperature sensor 12.

[0030] In a normal state, the controller 10 determines that the compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24 and the valve 28 is opened so as to supply the cool air to the storage compartment. Further, the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor 12 should be approximate to a preset temperature.

[0031] However, in a state that the OLP 22 operates according to the compressor 24 being overloaded, the controller 10 determines that the compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24, but the electric power supplied from the compressor driving part 20 is shut off by the OLP 22, so that the compressor 24 cannot operate.

[0032] Thus, although the controller 10 determines that the compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24 and the valve 28 is opened so as to supply the cool air to the storage compartment, if the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor 12 rises beyond the preset temperature, the controller 10 determines that the compressor 24 is stopped due to the overload of the compressor 24 and controls the heater driving part 16 to turn off the heaters 18.

[0033] With this configuration, an operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Accordingly, as the refrigerator is turned on, the refrigeration cycle is executed, thereby cooling the storage compartment at operation (S10). During the execution of the refrigeration cycle, if a door is being opened or heat radiation is insufficient, the compressor 24 is overloaded at operation (S12). When the compressor 24 is overloaded, the OLP 22 operates and shuts off the electric power supplied from the compressor driving part 20 to the compressor 24 at operation (S14). Then, the compressor 24 stops operating at operation (S16), so that the cool air cannot be supplied to the storage compartment. Accordingly, as the cool air is not supplied to the storage compartment, the controller 10 controls the heater 18 to stop operating at operation (S18).

[0034] As described above, the refrigerator can prevent the inside temperature of the storage compartment from rising by turning off the heaters 18 when the compressor 24 does not operate due to trouble such as the overload.

[0035] The foregoing operation is achieved by control of the controller 10, and the control of the controller 10 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, when the refrigeration cycle is executed at operation (S40), the controller determines whether or not the compressor driving part 20 supplies the electric power to the compressor 24 at operation (S42). When the compressor driving part 20 is determined to be supplying the electric power to the compressor 24, the controller determines whether the valve 28 is opened or closed, through the valve sensor 14 at operation (S44). When the compressor driving part 20 is determined to be supplying the electric power to the compressor 24 and the valve 28 is opened, the controller 10 monitors the inside temperature of the storage compartment through the temperature sensor 12, thereby determining whether or not the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor 12 rises beyond the preset temperature at operation (S46). When the inside temperature of the storage compartment is determined to have risen beyond the preset temperature, the controller 10 controls the heater driving part 16 to turn off the heaters 18 at operation (S48). Thus, when the inside temperature of the storage compartment rises although the electric power is determined to be supplied to the compressor 24 and the valve 28 is opened, the controller 10 determines that the compressor 24 is stopped by the OLP 22 and controls the heaters 18 to stop operating, thereby keeping the storage compartment at the preset temperature.

[0036] In the foregoing, it is exemplarily described that the compressor 24 is stopped by the OLP 22 operating when the compressor 24 is overloaded. However, the compressor 24 may be stopped by various factors such as trouble thereof, malfunction, etc.

[0037] Further, the present invention can be applied to all kinds of refrigerator heaters, such as a heater to defrost the evaporator, a heater to heat a door sliding bearing, a heater to remove dew, a heater to ripen food, etc. In particular, the present invention may be applied to the heaters to heat the sliding door bearing and to remove dew, which are operated regardless of a refrigerating operation of the refrigerator.

[0038] As described above, although the electric power is determined to be supplied to the compressor and the valve 28 is determined to be opened so as to supply the cool air to the storage compartment, if the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond the preset temperature, the controller determines that the compressor is stopped due to the overload and turns off the heaters.

[0039] Therefore, during the execution of the refrigeration cycle, a rise in the inside temperature of the storage compartment is minimized by turning off the heaters when the compressor stops due to trouble, such as an overload, and the compressor is restarted stably.

[0040] As described above, a refrigerator is provided which can minimize a rise in inside temperature thereof when a compressor stops due to trouble, and restarts the compressor stably.

[0041] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A refrigerator having at least one storage compartment, an evaporator cooling the storage compartment, a compressor, and a compressor driving part supplying electric power to the compressor, comprising: a heater heating a part of the refrigerator; a heater driving part supplying electric power to the heater; a temperature sensor sensing an inside temperature of the storage compartment; and a controller controlling the heater driving part to turn off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature in a state that the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment through the evaporator.
 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the heater comprises: at least one of a heater to defrost the evaporator, a heater to heat a sliding door bearing, a heater to remove dew, and a heater to ripen food.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, wherein the controller controls the heater driving part to turn off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor rises beyond the preset temperature in a state that the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part and the valve is opened.
 4. A method of controlling a refrigerator which comprises at least one storage compartment, an evaporator cooling the storage compartment, a valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, a compressor, a compressor driving part supplying electric power to the compressor, and a heater heating a part of the refrigerator, comprising: determining whether the compressor is operated by the compressor driving part; determining whether an inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by a temperature sensor rises beyond a preset temperature when the compressor is determined to be operating; and turning off the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment is determined to have risen beyond the preset temperature.
 5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining whether the valve is opened and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment when the compressor is determined to be operating, the determining whether an inside temperature of the storage compartment rises beyond the preset temperature occurs when the valve is determined to be opened.
 6. A refrigerator with a storage compartment disposed therein and a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant to cool the storage compartment, comprising: a heater to heat a portion of the refrigerator; and a controller controlling the heater such that when the compressor is overloaded, the heater is stopped.
 7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising: a temperature sensor to sense an inside temperature of the storage compartment; a valve sensor to sense an opened state or a closed state of a valve, which adjusts an amount of cool air supplied to the storage compartment; and a shut-off unit to shut off an electric supply to the heater, wherein the controller controls the shut-off unit such that the shut-off shuts off the heater when the compressor is determined to be overloaded according to results sensed by the temperature sensor and the valve sensor.
 8. A refrigerator with a storage compartment, an evaporator operable to supply cool air to the storage compartment, and a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant, comprising: a heater disposed in the refrigerator and operable to heat at least a portion of the refrigerator; a temperature sensor to sense an inside temperature of the storage compartment; and a controller controlling an operation to stop of the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment is greater than a preset temperature, the compressor is operated to compress the refrigerant and the evaporator is operated to supply cool air to the storage compartment.
 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising: a overload protector to provide overload protection to the compressor by shutting off the compressor when the compressor is overloaded.
 10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the overload protector operates independent of the controller.
 11. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the heater comprises: at least one of a heater to defrost the evaporator, a heater to heat a sliding door bearing, a heater to remove dew, and a heater to ripen food.
 12. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising: a heater driving part to supply electric power to the heater, wherein the controller controls the heater driving part to shut off the electric power to the heater when the compressor is stopped.
 13. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising: a valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, wherein the controller controls the operation to stop the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than the preset temperature, the compressor is operated to compress the refrigerant and the valve is opened.
 14. A method of controlling a refrigerator with a storage compartment disposed therein and a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant to cool the storage compartment, comprising: heating a portion of the refrigerator using a heater; and controlling the heater such that when the compressor is overloaded, the heater is stopped.
 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: sensing an inside temperature of the storage compartment; and sensing an opened state or a closed state of a valve to adjust an amount of cool air supplied to the storage compartment, wherein the compressor is determined to be overloaded according to results sensed by the temperature sensor and the valve sensor such that the heater is shut off when the compressor is determined to be overloaded.
 16. A method of controlling a refrigerator having a storage compartment, an evaporator operable to supply cool air to the storage compartment, a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant and a heater operable to heat at least a portion of the refrigerator, the method comprising: sensing an inside temperature of the storage compartment; and stopping an operation of the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment is greater than a preset temperature, the compressor is operated to compress the refrigerant and the evaporator is operated to supply cool air to the storage compartment.
 17. A method of controlling a refrigerator having therein a storage compartment, an evaporator to cool the storage compartment, a valve to adjust an amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, a compressor, a compressor driving part to supply electric power to the compressor, a heater heating at least a portion of the refrigerator, and a sensor to sense an inside temperature of the storage compartment, comprising: determining whether the compressor is being operated by the compressor driving part; determining whether an inside temperature the storage compartment is greater than a preset temperature when the compressor is determined to be operating; and stopping the heater when the inside temperature of the storage compartment is determined to be greater than the preset temperature.
 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: determining whether the valve is opened and cool air is supplied to the storage compartment when the compressor is determined to be operating, stopping the heater after the inside temperature of the storage compartment is determined to be greater than the preset temperature, the valve is determined to be opened and the cool air is determined to be supplied to the storage compartment.
 19. A method of controlling a refrigerator with a storage compartment disposed therein and a compressor operable to compress a refrigerant to cool the storage compartment, comprising: minimizing a temperature change in the storage compartment of the refrigerator by shutting off a heater when the compressor is not operating in a normal state. 